Today Shed applied for the Awesome Foundation
_The Awesome Foundation is an aptly named foundation that gives $1000 grants to awesome local projects. There is an Awesome Portland branch which I applied to today after a tip from a supporter of Shed. The deadline is May 03, and I think they will announce the winners for the first ever grant distributed by this branch at their launch party. I have so many fingers and toes to cross right now. _
Here is what we wrote on our application:
Project Description:
My name is Chandra and I’m a 31 year old stylist/arty person here in Portland Oregon. I’ve been through a crap-load of awful yet life-changing stuff this past year, and the greatest thing happened along the way. I came up with a sustainable business model that combines what I’m good at with what I like to do, and the love-baby of that union is Shed.
Shed is part of the new school of business models. It’s what’s known as a social enterprise or a hybrid organization. Essentially bucking the old corporate strictly-for-profit business models, Shed is among many new businesses with community service built right in. In my case, Shed is able to provide FREE services for qualifying in-need clientele, and sliding scale services for everyone else. This business model works, and has been working for over two years, I just need to take it to the next level.
I’m fundraising right now to open Shed in an affordable yet slightly run down location on SE Division. The space will be renovated with help from talented local architects and interior designers who are volunteering their time, and hopefully gain support of local paint and building supply centers to keep costs low.
Ideally, all the paint might be donated by Metro Recycling’s paint center, and all the wood might come from salvage reuse centers such as ReBuild but I’m not picky, it just seems smart.
I am already enrolled in a money saving program (IDA) through the low-income housing I live in, but that money will not be accessible to me until the end of the saving period (anywhere from 25 to 36 months). In the meantime I am fundraising via “GoFundMe” in order to get us off to a running start.
What do you think?
